The Crimson Wolf - Road To S
by Maelaeran
Summary: Gilean was an elf much like any other, but when disaster struck upon him and his family, he was forced to become something more. Something darker.
1. Chapter 1

**THE CRIMSON WOLF **

**PART 1 - ROAD TO S**

**Chapter 1 - Gilean**

A gentle breeze sailed through the fields outside of the village of Gelaweir, carrying with it the scents of spring and the melodies of the birds that rejoiced in the new season. The clear skies offered no protection, however, from the piercing light of the sun's rays. Thus weary travellers seeking a respite from the heat of the day sought refuge underneath the cool areas of a home or tavern. Or in one traveller's case, beneath the swaying branches of an old oak tree that stood curiously alone in the field some distance away from Gelaweir.

The figure dozing beneath the oak was covered head-to-toe in all black clothing, which, under the shade of the tree made it difficult to pick out any prominent features. The traveller was of average height and bore a slender build that was coupled with a pair of prominent ears poking out from beneath his (for he had a fairly masculine appearance) tufts of wind-swept black hair. The characteristic tapering of his ears and their unusual size marked the mysterious traveller as an elf. Next to the elf was a incredibly heavy-looking greatsword that had been stabbed into the ground. The steady rise and fall of his chest quickened, his sleep disturbed, as he shifted around under the oak, searching for a more comfortable position. He apparently found it as his breathing settled down to a steady rhythm and he lolled back into a peaceful state.

Taking in all of this, Melia shook her head in disbelief at the elf's cavalier attitude at sleeping so defencelessly. While she eyed the blade with some trepidation, she dismissed any notion of going back to the Mercenary House empty-handed. A small smile crept across her face as she thought how he was going to wake this lazy bum up as she made her way over to the tree, intending to shake the unruly elf awake. Her long strides ate up the distance between her and the elf, but before she had come within 20 paces of the supposedly sleeping elf, his golden eyes shot open and froze Melia in her place with its fierce, bestial gaze. In the span of a few seconds, the elf had retrieved the greatsword from the ground and was pointing it at Melia, as his eyes narrowed to slits, seeing the vague figure that was obscured by the blinding light only as a potential enemy to be cut down.

Her heart in her throat, Melia feebly croaked out a greeting to the man, "Gi-Gilean, it's past time to meet everyone. We're going to be late..."

The sound of Melia's voice seemed to fully wake up Gilean as his eyes visibly softened and blinked away the last vestiges of sleep. Gilean relaxed his ready posture and sheathed his heavy weapon back into the baldric on his back, yawning as he did so.

"Melia?...What time is it?" asked Gilean, stifling another yawn with a hand over his mouth. Seeing Gilean's nonchalant attitude calmed the furious pounding of Melia's heart as her anger quickly bubbled to the surface.

"Time to wake up you idiot! We were supposed to be meet at the Mercenary House 15 minutes ago!" shouted Melia. Gilean winced from the sharp reprimands as he gazed t the position of the sun to confirm the time on his own.

"You're right." said Gilean with a touch of wonder in his voice (A vein on Melia's forehead twitched), "Meaning I can sleep for at least another 15 minutes."

With that irresponsible statement, the incorrigible elf walked over to a more shaded part of the tree and plopped onto the grass with a contented sigh. A sigh that was rapidly transformed into a short yelp as Melia seized one of his ears in a crushing grip and stood Gilean up. Her hand on his ear and increasing the pressure ever so slightly, Melia marched towards their next job while ignoring Gilean's continued pleas.

**Scene switch**

The Cataclysm was said to be the event that heralded the dawn of a new age, a time of darkness and fear. Monsters, demons, spirits and all other manner of horrors became more than myth as such sightings became more and more frequent. It had been almost 20 years since then, and the world had begun to regain some sense of normalcy, helped in no small part by enterprises such as the Mercenary House. When it became clear that relying on roving bands of adventurers to deal with the occasional problem was no longer a viable solution, the leaders of the various races created various institutions that were directly funded by the state.

One of these organizations was the Mercenary House and was one of the most successful ventures. If a person wanted to join the Mercenary House, they had to pass a series of exams issued by the governing body of the area to receive an official Mercenary license. Once this was accomplished, a person would be entitled to accept requests posted on the Board that was located in every Mercenary House. These requests were then verified by independent contractors from the ruling council to make sure they were important and severe enough that they warranted the services of a mercenary. This prevented the Board from being cluttered with unimportant requests and the independent verification from the council also prevented any one person or persons having control over what requests came up. Once a request was confirmed to be real, a team of mercenaries was dispatched to the area to take care of the problem. When the task was finished, the mercenaries received their compensation from the Mercenary House, typically in the form of large amounts of gold. The immense wealth attracted many would-be mercenaries and the nearly impossible exams turned all but the most hardened of warriors away.

It was a little past noon when the pair finally reached the Mercenary House. They would've arrived even later if Melia hadn't finally relented and released her hold on Gilean's ear halfway through the journey. Gilean gingerly touched his poor, abused ear and winced as the imperceptible touch sent a jolt of pain through it. He glared at Melia who managed to stifle (poorly) a chuckle. Grumbling to himself, Gilean pushed open the door unceremoniously and stalked over the threshold with a huff.

The patrons populating the dim interior of the House all looked up warily at the new arrivals. Despite the fact that they were located in the middle of a sizable village; the harrowing nature of their profession demanded a constant vigilance at the risk of losing their lives. The presence of these two faces alerted some sixth sense of these grizzled veterans, a few even dropped their hands to their weapons unconsciously. The slim black-haired man drew some attention for his apparent youth, until their attention was drawn to one of his ears which the boy's hand carefully hovered around. While an elven mercenary was certainly uncommon, it was not unheard of in such parts and it explained his youthful appearance.

It was the presence of the elf's companion that drew the wary looks for it – she because of the long hair and prominent chest – was an incredibly fierce-looking orc warrior. The she-orc towered over the elf and commanded the attention of every person in the room with her imposing aura. Rays of light that filtered through the slats of the shuttered windows, glanced off of the she-orc's full plate-mail armour and made it shine with a menacing light. Perhaps she knew the effect she was having on the people inside the House as her mouth split open in a feral grin; fangs gleaming through the twilight of the room. This of course did nothing to allay the concerns of the mercenaries as more of them reached for their weapons.

It was a testament to their prowess (or sheer stupidity) that several of the mercenaries merely assessed the she-orc without fear and disregarded her as an enemy as several of their compatriots were so foolishly doing. Unaware of the tense situation that had erupted in the tavern, the elven male stalked over to the Board that was hung up on a wall in the centre of the House. The she-orc followed behind after breaking off eye contact with the warriors who were considering drawing weapons with a low chuckle. Seeing as she wasn't a real enemy, many people dropped their hands away from their weapons, although more than few kept a watchful eye on the duo's progress.

Gilean quickly glanced through the many requests that were pinned on the Board, taking note of which ones involved demons and noted them down in his memory for later. After confirming there were no requests that demanded his immediate attention, Gilean tore himself away from the Board and sauntered over to the Mission Desk that was located in a small alcove at the back of the House. Behind the Desk sat a bored looking halfling who was staring at a heavily text-laden document embossed with official seals from the Elven and Dwarven councils. One of his hands rested against the desk and was propping up his chin, while his other was dextrously flipping a deadly-looking dagger between his dancing fingers as he pored through the document. As Gilean approached, the halfling looked up and smiled, glad that there was something to jog him out of his usual routine of correcting official papers.

"Yes? Can I help you?" asked the halfling politely.

"I'm here with my companion to start the mission we had signed on for yesterday." replied Gilean, jerking his head over at Melia to indicated who his companion was. "It was for the request over in Auverdale to deal with the demon attacks."

Before the halfling could reply, a deep voice rang out through the stillness of the room, "You're late."

The owner of the voice was a heavily-built human male clad in polished, steel armour sitting at one of the tables, nursing a mug of spiced cider. Melia recognized the man as one of the few people who did not go for his weapon when they saw her. The man set his drink down with a soft _thump_ and rose up from the table. Now that he was standing up, his full height was revealed to be even with Melia's and was even more imposing than the she-orc because of the cold expression that defined his face. Melia's eyes flicked back and forth between Gilean and the man, anxiously hoping the former didn't do anything too stupid.

While some patrons were ignoring this confrontation and continuing with their own conversations; many people watched the scene with undisguised eagerness, each hoping that a fight would break out between the youth and the warrior.

Melia inwardly groaned when she saw the completely unabashed expression and slight smirk dancing across Gilean's face. The knight's face darkened when he saw Gilean, coming to a halt a hairsbreadth away from the elf, so Gilean was forced to look upwards.

"Semphil Albernson, I presume?" enquired Gilean easily.

"You presume too much if you think we are on an personal basis with each other, _boy_." said Semphil coldly.

His grin becoming imperceptibly wider, Gilean raised an eyebrow and corrected himself, "Do you prefer your unofficial title then? I feel that "The Mobile Fortress" seems a bit too odd to use in a proper conversation with someone."

At Gilean's retort, the room erupted in a low buzz as people looked on with renewed interest at Semphil; some gazed at him with something close to awe. Among the few A-Rankers, "The Mobile Fortress" was one of the most well-known members of the class. He was known both for his incredible strength as well as his unwavering sense of duty to the people he accepted requests from.

Semphil ignored the furious mutterings of the mercenaries and remained glaring fixedly at Gilean. "You know quite a bit about me. That information would've been on the approved request we had all accepted. _As was the time, we were too meet._" added Semphil severely.

"And?" asked Gilean, refusing to move the conversation forward.

"Why are you late?" rumbled Semphil, his eyes glittered with a dangerous light.

"Technically you're 15 minutes early." answered Gilean cheerfully. Faster than the eye could follow, Semphil's hand shot out from his side and seized hold of the front of Gilean's tunic. The giant man lifted Gilean easily off the ground without any form of strain appearing on his face.

"For your sake, I hope you have something better than that, boy!" shouted Semphil. There was a soft _hiss_ of steel scraping across leather as Melia drew her battleaxe and hefted it into the air menacingly, "Release him." growled Melia.

Several of the patrons were showing very worried looks now; what had started off as a good bit of fun now seemed like it would yield heavy bloodshed. Indeed, more than few people were pushing backing from their tables and drawing their own weapons to preempt the ensuing carnage by dealing with Melia. Gilean and Semphil remained unfazed by the deadly situation, as they continued to lock gazes with one another.

"Is this how you treated the other two?" asked Gilean. Gilean's unexpected question significantly lowered the tense atmosphere of the room as Semphil drew back from Gilean and wrinkled his brow in confusion. "...Other two?" he repeated slowly.

Gilean made an exaggerated show of surprise as his eyes widened and his jaw hung loose in supposed shock, "You didn't know? Two more people were assigned to this mission. A message hawk was delivered to the House yesterday about these changes with a new meeting time."

Semphil was utterly nonplussed at this information for he had spent the entirety of yesterday at the local shops to restored his equipment to their previous pristine state, as well as replenish his dwindling supplies in preparation for his next mission. One of the regulations of the Mercenary House is that all missions were subject to immediate and potentially radical change by the ruling council up until the day before the scheduled mission. While this technically meant that mercenaries were required to check for new updates, such changes were so rarely done that most neglected to do so.

Semphil couldn't even get angry with Gilean because of this. Gilean had told the truth and Semphil had reacted rashly without pausing to consider that what he had assumed to be a sarcastic comment, to be the truth. Although Gilean's attitude certainly didn't help in convincing Semphil to other alternatives, the fault still lay with Semphil alone. And that was something the knight could not tolerate.

Semphil gently placed Gilean down and stepped away form him to bow his head in apology, "It seems that it was I who presumed too much. For that, I cry both you and your companion's pardon for my unacceptable actions."

Gilean was surprised at the knight's earnest and sincere apology. _His reputation is well-deserved._ "Please raise your head, sir knight. My own attitude hardly helped, and was certainly inappropriate for one of your stature." Melia and the rest of the patrons silently agreed. "Let us start over anew." said Gilean, extending his hand as he did so.

Semphil clasped Gilean's hand without hesitation as everyone watching breathed in relief, "Thank you for your understanding. And please, call me Semphil."

Gesturing over to where his table was, Semphil ushered Melia and Gilean to sit and refresh themselves as they waited for the last two companions. Conversation slowly returned to the room as people went about their own business. Semphil had gone to retrieve drinks for Melia and Gilean, despite their polite (but not adamant) protests.

Melia narrowed her eyes at Gilean, who returned her gaze evenly. "I did tell you we had 15 more minutes, Ms. Ear Torturer."

"Oh, shut up."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 – Family**

Deep within the Forests of Everist, near the southern tip of the continent, there lay the hidden village of Nevara'el. From the name and the location of the settlement, one could make a reasonable (and correct) guess that this was an elven village. However; this village was a far cry from what would be considered normal. The hidden nature of the village was itself not so uncommon as elves, while friendly, were known for preferring the solitude of nature. But the numerous wards that dotted the landscape that were designed to hide the village and prevent any wanderers from venturing too deep in the forest. With the addition of the many sentinels deployed by the village to turn back any who got too close, were all fairly good indications that this was no ordinary village.

Just below the treeline, hanging about 8 metres off of the ground, several rope bridges were strung across the gap between trees. Despite their rickety appearance, the wooden slats serving as footholds for the bridge did not even creak as people nimbly stepped across them. Apart from a gentle sway, the thick coils of rope serving as the support for the bridges held fast without any signs of fraying, thanks to the incredible skill of the mages and engineers who were involved in their building.

At the end of every bridge, there lay a treehome that made up the upper part of the village. It was here that the engineers true talents shined, for each home was painstakingly grown, not crafted, from the tree itself under the magical crooning of druids following an intricately detailed architectural schematic. While each treehome was covered with the same general layer of enchantment, such as water and fire-proofing, residents were free to modify their home as they saw fit.

Most people ended up modifying their home, either to provide for a larger family, or to create a professional home. Professional treehomes were typically large homes, often incorporating two or more trees to accommodate traffic and to secure the necessary space needed for a trade. In a somewhat haphazard manner, these professional treehomes lay at different levels of the trees they rested on depending on how much of the tree's strength they needed. For example, the blacksmiths dwelt on the lowest levels of the village so as to gain the greatest amount of support from the trunk of the tree to compensate for the weight of their home's equipment and wares. In contrast, agricultural homes extended from the ground all the way to the very highest levels, usually in large clumps of five or six trees, to take advantage of the precipitation and sunlight. Agricultural homes were surrounded on all sides with great bark walls, woven out from the trees that served as their pillars, with the insides entirely filled with soil.

Some ways away from the village, but still within its borders, high above the ground and resting in the branches of the trees were two guards: An elvnmas who bore a distinctly masculine appearance and elvalya who was undeniably a female elf, kept a watchful eye aimed at the borders of the village. Below the guards, in one of the few open spaces of the dense greenery, a group of children were embroiled in a lively game of tag. Their shrieks of delight that punctuated the air, brought a faint smile to the guards' seemingly impassive faces. They did not worry about any of the children crossing the borders, for every child knew the extreme danger of their village being discovered. In addition, they would never get past the honour-guard who stood watch further away where the wards ended without a proper escort in tow.

But such unknown dangers were of no concern to the children as the game intensified towards its conclusion with the final few players. In the entire village, there were seven children who were all enjoying the game.

"Tag!" gleefully cried out one girl.

"Freeze, Felia!" called out the other 3 children who had been tagged out of the game already. They all giggled when they saw the pose Felia had to stay stuck in until someone else was tagged. Felia had been in mid-step when she had been tagged by Anaya, with her arms splayed out at different angles as she tried to avoid Anaya's quick fingers. Stilvan groaned in relief as he broke the pose he had been holding and immediately fell to the grass and sprawled himself out on the lush grass contentedly, prompting a new torrent of laughter.

It was down to the final 3 players, who had unconsciously taken up equidistant positions from each other in the form of a rough triangle. The children eyed each other warily, waiting for Felia to name the new tagger.

"Tag! You're it..." called Felia, pausing for dramatic effect, which prompted several eye-rolls and groans, "Elphias!"

One of the two boys darted for his black-haired compatriot, who presented a more open path than Anaya. The second Elphias' name was called, all 3 children sprang into action: Elphias chased after the other boy who had bolted towards the treeline where the other girl was fleeing towards. The black-haired boy quickly sprinted through the clearing, with Elphias in hot pursuit.

"5...4...3...2...1...Switch! You're it Anaya!" cried Reval. The black-haired boy and Elphias stopped dead in their tracks and quickly ran back the way they had came, splitting off in different directions when they ran past one of the other children in the grass. Anaya swiftly chased after Elphias whose strength was flagging after putting on an extra burst of speed in trying to catch the other boy. All of the other children were cheering for their favourites, urging them to run even faster.

The last girl who was sitting out started the countdown for the tagger switch. At the very last second, Anaya reached out and scored a touch on Elphias' back. "Tag!" shouted Anaya triumphantly.

Elphias froze in the stereotypical posture of an elvnmas pantomiming a running motion. As Felia slid down onto the grass, stretching out her stiff muscles in relief; Anaya and the black-haired boy walked back towards the centre. Now the game would get even faster as players changed the position of tagger with every single attempt. In addition, they weren't allowed to be more than three metres from each other. Elphias hopped in place to turn around while maintaining his pose, but also so he could get a better view of the game's conclusion.

"You're it...Gilean!" yelled Elphias. Gilean sprang forward as his name was called and jabbed a hand towards Anaya, making sure not to fully extend his arm. His caution proved sound as his tag fell short as Anaya jumped to the side to avoid his hand as her own streaked through the air. The contest continued with both sides trading blows with each other with ever increasing speed, sporting wide grins on their faces. Their audience cheered during the bout, sometimes expressing shock and disappointment when one had barely missed the other.

Gilean's world quickly began to fade out, until only he and Anaya remained to fill the void. Her emerald eyes glittered joyously that sometimes sparkled with a mischievous light when a clever feint almost caught Gilean. But it seemed like fortune was on Gilean's side when Anaya overextended herself, which Gilean seized upon with a wickedly fast retort to the back of her hand. Sound returned to the world and time returned to its normal flow as Gilean declared his victory, "Tag!"

As Anaya froze in a very comical pose, the other children burst in to applause and cheers. Gilean's chest heaved with exhaustion, but his face showed nothing but elation. He stole a glance at Anaya as the other children gathered around them who noticed Gilean looking at her and gave a quick win, sticking her tongue out at him as she did so. The rest of the boys were punching Gilean on the shoulder and slapping his back so he stumbled forward while the girls were enthusiastically praising Anaya's efforts as she unfroze; accepting their consolations with a sweet laugh.

"Nicely done, Gilly. Although I would've had you if not for that countdown." said Elphias.

"Is that a challenge I hear, Elphi?" drawled Gilean.

"Rematch!" "Again! Let's go again!" chanted the rest of them. Gilean and Elphias quickly agreed and tackled each other to the ground, wrestling with one another for control, with the other boys egging the two of them on. This contest was then just as quickly broken up as it had started by Anaya and the other girls with a sharp knuckle on their heads as they reminded them that they had classes to get to.

"But those are an hour from now! We still have time for at least 2 more games!" protested Stilvan who was accompanied by the very vocal agreements of the other boys. In a way that only females are capable of accomplishing, all three girls responded with withering stares that rapidly dispelled the other side's unvoiced retorts as they fell into a meek silence.

"I will _not_ attend class while both myself and my classmates reek of sweat. We will use our remaining time to wash ourselves and then proceed directly to our lesson." said Anaya in a tone that brooked no arguments.

To the outside world: Elves resided at the pinnacle of grace and beauty, a gloriously potent mix of strength, magic and majesty. In truth, it was thanks to the unceasing efforts of the elvalyara that maintained this illusion. A harmonious democracy to the rest of the world; an unspoken matriarchy on the inside.

"Got it..." mumbled the boys dejectedly.

**Scene switch**

A little under an hour later, the children gathered together in their Lesson Home. They were in a tight half-circle, sitting cross-legged with straight backs and hands clasped together in their laps. Their teacher sat in the same manner as they did, addressing them in his deep and calming voice. His age, like all elves, was impossible to guess as no elf showed anything older than a human in their second decade of life. Only his eyes hinted at the uncounted years of life in their deep, sapphire pools.

"Could someone please remind me, where we left off last time?" asked the Teacher, seemingly to no-one. Gilean was never sure how the old elvnmas managed it, even when he seemed to be looking at nothing, you _knew_ when he was looking at you.

"Teacher Retsa" began Gilean, "In our last session, we discussed the best method of killing lycanthropes."

"Correct." nodded the elf, "Who remembers what that method or methods were?"

"Silver-edged weapons are currently the best method for killing werewolves." answered Felia.

"I see." said the Teacher, "Would a sword or an arrow made entirely out of silver serve me better than a weapon only containing a mere coating of silver?"

"Even if we were to ignore cost, an edged weapon would still be better. A sword or projectile made entirely out of silver, even one that was reinforced with magic, would not be strong enough to penetrate the thick hide of a werewolf." supplied Reval with a lengthy answer.

"Well put." smiled the old elf as Reval tilted his head down in embarrassment, ears reddening. "Now...for today's lesson, I thought we would discuss demons and their hierarchy."

Gilean unconsciously sat up even straighter, for this was a topic that was of particular importance to him and his family. "Out of all of the foul creatures that inhabit this world, none are so vile as demons. Unlike many of the creatures that our village hunts down, demons possess an intelligence comparable to our own. And yet, what do they choose to do with this knowledge? Torture. Steal. Kill. Destroy." said Retsa, looking at each of them in turn as he said these things, "They are the anti-thesis of Life; beings that misuse their power to crush all those beneath them in a never-ending quest for power. I have taught you children many things about this world, and have tried to emphasize that you shouldn't view this land in black and white."

"...But this does not apply to Demons?" asked Carissa hesitantly.

"No, child. It does not." replied Retsa kindly, "Demons are not of this world. Each member of their kind embodies one part of the greater whole: Evil." The children sat in an uneasy silence as they absorbed this information. An entire species dedicated to destroying life, one that was potentially on a level equal to that of elves in terms of strength, was a terrifying one. Gilean had heard such things from his parents and brother, so he was not as unsettled as the rest of his friends. There was something new in what Teacher Retsa said that he hadn't heard before though.

"Teacher, what do you mean they are not of this world? Where do they come from if not from some foreign land?" asked Gilean.

Retsa nodded his head sagely, "A good question indeed, young Gilean. To be perfectly honest, I do not know where exactly Demons come from, but I can tell you that they definitely do not originate from these lands." The children were temporarily stunned that Retsa, who seemed as if he knew everything, did not know the answer.

Anaya was the first to recover from this shock, "If you do not know where they come from, how can you be so sure that they do not come from some unknown land, Teacher Retsa?"

"Very astute, Anaya. Allow me to clarify myself: We know they hail from another place, but we do not know where or even what that place may be. That did not stop the many peoples of our world from giving their world a name though: Hell, Netherworld, Naraka, Xibalba, Gehenna, Diyu, and a thousand other names depending on what parts of the world you visit all refer to the same place." explained Retsa, his eyes focusing on Anaya once more. "Does this answer your question, Anaya?"

"No, Teacher Retsa. It does not." answered Anaya instantly.

Retsa smiled and gave a small chuckle, "You are quite right! Will someone please tell me then, how I can be so sure that Demons do not originate from some mysterious part of the world?" surveying the entire room as he did so, indicating that this was an open question for anyone to answer.

The children sat in silence, entrenched in their thoughts as they racked their brains searching for a plausible explanation. Finally, after a few minutes of deep thought, Elphias voiced his thoughts, "In order to have that much confidence...you would need some sort of definitive proof or maybe multiple pieces of evidence that definitely indicate that Demons are from another world..."

Retsa noted with a hidden smile that Elphias' words served to guide the children's thoughts into the correct line of thinking. As he thought this, Stilvan answered the question with another, "Teacher Retsa...has there ever been any instances of Elvnkin or any other people visiting this other world?"

"Yes. There have been such instances." affirmed Retsa, clapping his hands together as he did so. The children's eyes all widened, but they made no sound, for fear of missing anything Retsa might say. "The first account in written history was by one Desmos of Thekrinth, a very old human kingdom that existed some 1500 years ago and is what is now a collection of small villages, the ancient structures of that dominion long since crumbled away to dust. Desmos was a magician working in the royal court who had been tasked, along with a group of knights, to deal with a growing demonic menace that had been plaguing their kingdom."

Retsa paused as he seemed to turn a page in the imaginary book he was reading from, pausing his instruction to organize his thoughts. "After many weeks of journeying and tireless tracking, the group finally located the demons' lair. The demons were no match for the knights of Thekrinth, whose prowess was only heightened and made all the more deadly for it with Desmos' magical might." All of the children unconsciously leaned forward, silently urging Retsa to continue.

"When the dust had settled and the demons lay slain to soak in their own festering juices, the knights of Thekrinth rejoiced in their victory. Cheers rang through those dark caverns as the knights roared their success to any demons left alive who would dare challenge them. But Desmos alone remained impassive."

"Why? They won, didn't they?" wondered Gilean.

"Maybe there were other demons in the cavern. Or maybe there was another lair?" suggested Elphias.

"Nah, it was probably because not everyone on his side made it out okay." interjected Felia knowingly.

Getting into the discussion, Gilean was about to give another possible explanation when Anaya spoke up, "_Maybe_, we should let Teacher Retsa finish explaining." glaring at the three of them as she did so.

Abashed, the three children looked towards Retsa who sat there quietly as always, although some amusement glittered in his eyes.

"Sorry for interrupting, Teacher..." said the three of them with downcast voices.

"All is forgiven. Rather I approve of the fact that you are all thinking critically." said Retsa, as the three raised their heads up in disbelief. "Although in the future, let us save such discussions for the end of the lesson." nodding in Anaya's direction so that she knew that he appreciated her effort in not delving off into a tangent. Anaya appeared to be mollified which caused Gilean, Elphias and Felia to all sigh in relief.

"Now, as to why Desmos did not revel with the rest of the men, was because he had still not found out where the demons were coming from."

"Why was that so important? Were demon attacks so rare back then, Teacher?" questioned Reval.

Retsa's eyes glowed with satisfaction, "You are right to question this part of the tale. Demon sightings were not so uncommon back then: In fact, from all accounts, such instances occurred with only slightly less frequency than the Era of Ethos. What was strange however was the number of demons and the regularity of attacks."

Pausing, Retsa clarified more fully, "Demon attacks are infrequent and occur in very different places from each other; this is as true today as it was back then. But for this particular cropping of demons is that no matter how many were killed, they always re-appeared in the same general area with increasing frequency. Up until that point in time, no one knew where demons came originated. Because of the uniqueness of the situation though, Desmos believed that he would be able to finally answer an age-old question."

Retsa's face darkened and even though sunlight filled it's interior, all of the children shivered from a chill that had somehow entered the room. "It was after several hours of searching the labyrinthine network of caves that Desmos made a grisly discovery. There, somehow pinned to the cavern wall, in the rough outline of an archway, were the bodies of dozens of humans. All around that bloody mural, Desmos and his knights saw the telltale tracks of demons leading _away_ from the arch. More than that, Desmos felt a sickening, dark magic emanating from the arch. But Desmos was either a very courageous, or very foolish man, for he alone stepped forward towards that arch."

"Why?" said Reval ashen-faced, "It was clearly evil. Why not just destroy it and be done with it!" demanded Reval, looking around the room to see his friends emphatically agreeing with him.

"Because Desmos had taken an oath." said Retsa simply, "He was a rare man of incredible integrity, But it was more than that; he needed to know what that arch was, for he alone had the expertise needed to deal with it. And so he drew closer to that gruesome design, until suddenly-" the children jumped at the sudden change in Retsa's voice, "A bloody hand shot out from _within_ the archway and dragged him through."

"What did he see?" asked Stilvan, fear infecting his voice.

Retsa obliged Stilvan as he continued, "When Desmos regained his senses, he found himself in a completely different land: All around him, raging fires covered a desolate land, and the skies were filled with different stars and moons. But the most prominent sight of all was that this land he was in was filled to the brim with the unearthly creatures he had been fighting. Demons of all sizes and shapes stalked the land, seemingly without care for the fires that burned all around them, as they passed through the inferno harmlessly. Before any of the demons took notice, Desmos immediately went back through the portal he had came through, explaining all he had seen to his knights and urging them to get reinforcements from the kingdom."

"While there have never been any other recorded instances of gates, there are other accounts with very similar descriptions of that world. Although these are descriptions of people who accidentally visited the world through breaches."

"Breach?" repeated Elphias.

"Breaches are the most common ways that Demons, and various other creatures, can get int our world." explained Retsa patiently, "As for the other creatures," he added with a forestalling glance at Felia who had opened her mouth to ask another question. "We will discuss another time."

"What do breaches look like, Teacher?" asked Carissa.

Retsa gave a low chuckle as he sadly shook his head in regret, "That's a rather difficult question to answer. Breaches by nature, are not visible by any normal means: You have to know where to look for one and also know the proper spell to make its presence known. The details this spell will be covered in our next session though."

"Do breaches appear in certain kinds of places?" asked Anaya.

"Indeed they do. It seems that the most prevalent places for breaches are those places where there has been an abundance of death and magical energies."

"Like the sites of old battlegrounds." pointed out Reval.

"Very good. Yes, such sites are nexuses for the emergence of breaches."

"But if breaches were far more common than gates, why is it that Desmos was the first person to give a written account of the Demon World?" interjected Gilean.

Smiling, Retsa gave one of his approving nods and explained, "Because breaches are also incredibly unstable. Until that point, the leading theory among the races of the world was that demons were the corporeal form of spirits driven mad by their own deaths." Retsa saw that many of the children wore condescending smirks and he lightly reprimanded them with a stern tone, "You think it silly, but if I did not tell you beforehand that there was a world of demons, would you have come up with a better explanation?"

Their grins fading, the children guiltily acknowledged that their own reckonings would have probably been worse. "Ignorance should never be mocked; only corrected. Give your knowledge freely to those would benefit from it." chided Retsa.

"We hear your words and our own faults, and will take it into our hearts, Teacher." chorused the children, giving the standard from of apology indicating understanding and regret over one's actions.

"As it should be." said Retsa, although his voice and face regained their gentle features. "Back to your question now then, Gilean. The reason as to why there were no written accounts of the demon world is that because of their atypical location and invisible form, there was a very low probability of anyone accidentally wandering through them. And when they did, if they managed to return that is, told people of what they'd seen, what do you think people would have said about such a person?" asked Retsa; directing an inquisitive glance towards the children.

"...I'd think he was crazy." admitted Elphias.

"As would I" agreed Retsa. "In addition, because breaches don't last very long, even if a person managed to lead a person to the exact, precise point where it was; all they would find was empty air. And the person's sanity would be further cast into doubt."

"Are breaches visible on the other side?" asked Gilean.

"It seems that they are as imperceptible in the Demon world as they are in our own by other tales. Thus, it could entirely be possible that there are many breaches out there that have yet to be discovered by either side." finished Retsa, as he allowed that statement to sink in. "Now, our next topic will be on the Demonic Hierarchy which is comprised of seven different ranks of demons: From the lowly minions to the Four Princes. For the rest of the class we'll be covering Minions, Fiends and Titans. Now, who can tell me an example from each?..."

**Scene switch  
**

After a quick repast, the children were all gathered around in a clearing very similar to the one they were playing tag in earlier that morning. Gilean was surprised at how long they were in Retsa's class, for it was already well past noon by the time they had finished. Gilean was going through some basic stretches next to the two he most often played with: Anaya and Elphias were both doing similar routines to his own. Surveying each child's moments and making sure they were stretching properly, was the Fighting Instructor Meera, who was patiently correcting postures in a cool and detached manner. Many people, including other elves, would have been shocked to see that attached to each child's waist was a very real sword (properly fitted to a shorter lenght) resting in plain sheathes.

Behind the children and around their sides were a series of heavy-looking, thick wooden post driven into the ground. Closer inspection would reveal that their weathered appearance could be attributed to the numerous cuts and dents covering their exterior.

"Warm-up time is over." dully said Meera, and the children immediately stopped stretching to give Meera their undivided attention. "About-face and walk forward to a post. Make sure to give each other at least five metres of room on either side of yourselves." With fluid movements, born of many days of constant repetition, the children made a 180 degree turn and marched towards the posts.

"Draw." said Meera curtly. A loud hiss split the air as seven swords were pulled from their sheaths. The swords brightly shined in the afternoon sun, held aloft in a ready position with the flat end of the blade facing towards the children. Gilean eyed the blade with some trepidation, despite all the times they had repeated this ritual. This was by no means a practical way of holding the sword, its only merit lay in showy performances by fools. The reason _they_ did it was so that each child would understand with their own eyes that neither the edges nor the tip of the blade was blunted. This was a real blade. It was not a fancy decoration as those silly human knights seemed to believe. This was something made only for killing.

_**Seriously, we get it. How many times do we have to keep doing this? **_This nonchalant thought helped to dispel some of Gilean's unease. Not by much, though.

"Form 6. 100 times to the beat." ordered Meera as she started to clap her hands together in a steady rhythm, indicating the tempo they needed to keep. Form 6 was an upwards slant followed by a horizontal cut and ended with a backhand slice as soon as the horizontal slash was finished. There were 164 forms and Meera had driven all of them relentlessly into their bodies over the past two years when they had reached their 8th birthday. Gilean knew this harsh training was the bare minimum needed to be a proper member of Nevara'el, but he knew he and his muscles would be complaining soon enough. In his mind of course.

**Scene switch**

The orange glow of the setting sun splashed across the lush grass and the children who laid sprawled upon it in exhausted heaps. Gilean thought, as he always did, that this was probably the most brutal session so far. Out of all 164 forms, there were three in particular that were probably the most demanding, which they were instructed to perform all in succession today. Then they did all of their routines again with their non-dominant hand. He lay there with his fellow victims sucking in great amounts of air into his battered body.

When his breathing had come somewhat under control, Gilean wearily sat up. Around him, his compatriots were also slowly regaining strength. Predictably, Anaya and Elphias were the first ones up along with him.

"Tough day like usual, eh Gilly?" remarked Elphias, trying to pass off the lesson as something easy, before ruining it with a gasp.

"You breathe any harder, you'll start sucking up the ground." laughed Anaya, who wasn't in much better shape.

"Well 'Mother' Meera will never push us too far." reminded Stilvan, who had recovered some energy as well. On cue, Meera returned carrying several white bundles balanced on one hand and a loop of leather where several wooden containers hung off of. Meera stopped by each child and handed them a towel and one wooden container with a short, "Good work."

Gilean accepted the items gratefully and pressed the wonderfully cool towel to his sweat-soaked face. Gilean opened the container and gave a tentative sniff and was rewarded with a pleasant, fruity aroma. The liquid contents sloshed around in the container as he tipped it down his throat; feeling revitalized by the melon juice. "Mother" Meera wasn't nearly as stern as she appeared, which made the children love her all the more.

"Thank you, Teacher!" said the children, delighted when they saw Meera turn away slightly with pink cheeks.

"Don't thank me yet, we still have a run to finish the session." replied Meera. "Well it's more like a light jog...But-but it's not because I feel that you deserved a rest! It's just that the workout was rather hard today and I feel a little bad about it...Anyway! Finish your drinks and then we'll go!" explained Meera hastily.

All of the children exchanged grins with each when Meera had her back turned. It was the same thing she said every time.

**Scene switch**

Gilean sat on the branch with Veo, the elvnmas guard who was on duty this week as his legs dangled off the side. Out of all the guards, Veo was Gilean's favourite: Always quick with a interesting fact or joke, he always seemed to have something on hand. Today was unusual in that the two of them sat in a companionable, but watchful silence. Normally they'd be trading jokes with each other or chatting about something inconsequential. This often won them a very disapproving glare from the other guard, standing on the adjacent tree's branches.

Today was special however, as _they_ were finally returning from their latest hunt. It was the longest they had ever gone and even with all of his friends to keep him company, Gilean still felt lonely at the end of the day when everyone else returned home to their families.

"They're late." said Gilean worriedly, "Do you think something happen-"

"I'm sure they're fine." reassured Veo quickly, "Better than fine probably. Those three are our strongest hunters after all."

"Do you think they got held up by something?" asked Gilean, who was still worrying despite Veo's words. Various scenarios of ambushes and mortal injuries ran through his head.

"More like _someone_, probably." snorted Veo. "That Silpherion is probably driving off all the elvalyara posted at the honour-guard with a stick. Seriously, what's so good about that guy..." grumbled Veo.

"Compared to you? Quite a bit." remarked Lauren; the elvalya guard on duty with Veo. It was a customary ritual between the two who usually stood guard together. They had gotten so good at bickering with each other, that they could maintain their vigilant watch while crafting a verbal barb for the other. Normally Gilean would have laughed when this happened and enjoy the witty remarks they directed against each other. But now he sat anxiously on the edge of the branch, his eyes and ears straining to catch any glimpse or sound of the group he was waiting for.

The night wore on, filled only with the sounds of hooting owls, the soft rustles of rodents, and the quiet verbal sallies of Veo and Lauren. Finally, Gilean detected a change in the environment – or at least Veo and Lauren did, for Veo instantly cut off the remark he was delivering. Without any visible signal between the two, Veo and Lauren both fit an arrow to the strings of their bows simultaneously. The part of his mind that wasn't focused on the new arrivals was amazed at how Veo and Lauren reacted. Even now, Gilean still couldn't tell if anything was out there, but Veo and Lauren's actions assured him that there had to be _something_. Sure enough, far off into the distance, a group of bushes parted way as three shadowy figures slipped through.

"Halt." commanded Lauren.

"Identify yourselves if you don't want to be turned into a pincushion." added Veo as he drew back on the bowstring.

"Why, is there an _actual_ archer who's going to shoot us?" answered one of the figures sardonically.

"Don't push it, _Silphy._"warned Veo, although both he and Lauren visibly relaxed as they returned their arrows to their quivers. Gilean's heart leaped when he heard that voice as the three figures moved into visual range. Pulling his legs up, Gilean ran down the length of the branch and scampered down it to its base. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he ran towards the group and enveloped the one who had spoken in a tight embrace.

"You're late." mumbled Gilean, his voice was muffled as it was pressed against the tunic of the elvnmas. Gilean pulled back suddenly when he felt something sticky on his face; his vision focused and he saw his hand was stained red when he pulled it back from his face. "You're hurt! What happened? Are Mother and Father...?!" panicked Gilean only to be cut off by his father.

"Calm down, Gilean. It's not our blood." reassured Silpherion. The only elvalya in the group flitted over to Gilean's side with a small handkerchief already in her hand. One hand was firmly placed atop his head to stop him from squirming as she patiently cleaned his face. Satisfied with her work, she kissed Gilean on his forehead and squeezed him tightly.

"I missed you, my dear Äeoil ." whispered his mother, calling him by her pet name for him.

"Me too." returning the hug with equal strength. As soon he broke off from his mother's embrace, his father swept him into an equally tight one.

"You weren't thinking of leaving me out, were you?" grinned his father.

"That would be the smart decision." quipped his brother, his laugh cut off short as Father delivered a lightning-fast slap to the top of Silpherion's head.

"Always with the fast mouth, eh, Silphy?" taunted Veo from above the family.

"Better than someone who always releases his _arrow_ too early. You certainly won't be getting a wife anytime soon." retorted Silpherion.

"...Wanna go?" asked Veo dangerously.

"Bring it." replied Silpherion just as curtly. Silpherion's body shimmered briefly as he disappeared from the ground to re-appear in the next instant behind Veo. However a long history between the two prepared Veo for Silpherion's attack. Along with Lauren, the three of them were old friends, and the fights between Veo and Silpherion were a familiar sight within the village. As such, the three left on the ground ignored the duo and made their way towards the village.

"You have insulted me for the last time, Silphy! I challenge you to fisticuffs!" shouted Veo.

"Very well, I accept your challenge Vee-Vee!" answered Silpherion. The two immediately engaged in a slap-fight with each other, which would soon be broken up by Lauren beating them both into submission. Gilean's father picked him up and placed him on his shoulders, as Gilean started chattering away excitedly of what they had missed.

"Were you feeling lonely at all?" teased his mother.

"Not at all!" assured Gilean.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 – Broken **

It was the sun that woke Gilean up as the first rays of the morning danced across his face, breaking him out of his Trance. At first, Gilean became anxious when he saw the Sleeping Area was empty, a feeling of unease crept into his stomach as he looked around anxiously until he heard their voices coming from the lower level of the home. It was uncanny thought Gilean, as long as they weren't infants, Elves spent the same amount of time in a Trance whether they were a child or an adult. Yet as far as he could remember, Gilean couldn't recall a single time he was awake before any of them.

Gilean slid out of his bed and padded down the spiralling steps towards the bottom level. His family was sitting around a table with colourful plates of boiled eggs, leafy-green vegetables and an assortment of fresh fruits appealed directly to his empty stomach.

"About time you woke up." remarked Silpherion. Gilean scowled at his brother and took a seat at the table. Without further ado, the family dug into their meal, a sense of contentment filled the room as they ate in companionable silence. Time passed and their cutlery soon scraped empty plates as Gilean and his mother silently took everyone's plates and carried it over to the wash basin.

"So you'll be home when I get back?" asked Gilean, trying to sound casual.

"Of course. Don't worry, we won't be taking any extended missions this week." assured his mother who, when Gilean wasn't looking, shared a secret smile with her husband. He smiled back, it was the fifth time their youngest son had asked them this since they had returned. Gilean had successfully managed to extract a similar promise from Silpherion before he had hurried off after the meal.

"Go on, then" reminded his father, taking a plate from his wet hands, "You'll be late for class." Gilean dried his hands and hugged his parents goodbye as he stepped out the door. Even though it was still early in the morning, Nevara'el's inhabitants were in the full hustle-and-bustle of their normal daily activities. Quick snippets of conversation passed through the air as friends stopped to chat with each other. The sweet voices of the druids who maintained the village structures were mixed with the harsh sounds of the blacksmiths and craftsmen hard at work.

As Gilean raced across the footbridges, his thoughts inevitably began to wander as he settled into his usual routine. He had heard about how other Elvish villages ran from his lessons from Retsa and wondered how they managed to stay sane with such a catatonic way of life. Shrugging at the strange nature of his distant cousins, Gilean dodged greetings from the numerous villagers who recognized him and tried to greet him, which he waved off with a shout saying he was late. At the periphery of his senses, Gilean saw a similar figure dashing through the village and giving the same excuse. Unconsciously, Gilean's speed went up a notch when he caught Elphias' eye: _Game on!_

**Scene switch  
**

"So; what are you two arguing about?" asked Anaya in an annoyed voice. Elphias and Gilean had both dived through the open doorway of the Class Home.

"We saw each other on the way to class." panted Gilean

"So we raced." replied Elphias shortly.

"And I won." declared both of them. The two boys glared at each other and were about to settle into a new argument, until they caught the terrifying glare from Anaya. They glanced at each other and agreed to a silent truce, postponing their contest for another time. The other children smothered giggles with their hands over their mouths as the pair awkwardly shuffled over towards the group to take their seats. Felia and Stilvan made room for them with badly concealed smiles, Reval giving a sympathetic pat to Gilean's back as he sat down. Leaning over to Gilean, Felia asked, "Did your brother get back yet?"

"Yeah they got back last night."

"Why were they so late though?" interrupted Elphias, all traces of the previous argument had immediately dispersed, "I thought they were just doing a routine hunt."

"Well, routine is a relative term." joined in Stilvan, "Being the strongest means they had to be up against something monstrous, right?"

Anaya took her own seat next to Carissa as usual and pulled up her legs, hugging them to her chest, "When have they ever been on the same mission? Even my parents have never done a mission together." Anaya's parents ranked among the strongest warriors in the village. Her mother Aume, in particular had swordsmanship comparable to Gilean's father Althian.

"I don't know..." admitted Gilean, "I never really considered it." The children sank into a thoughtful silence, each child trying to imagine what would merit the services of Gilean's family. But their many ruminations were soon broken up by Retsa who had chosen that moment to enter the room. His gaze drifted over all the children until it finally settled on Gilean and Elphias. "I see the two of you decided to grace our class with your presence."

Flushing, the two of them hastily made their apologies which Retsa took with good cheer. "Now then. Who can give me a summary of the hierarchy of demons; bonus points for those who can give me a detailed physical description..."

**Scene switch**

"Form 89! Switch to your left-hand and keep up!" barked Meera. The rhythmic thumping of the children's blades beat against the training posts in time with Meera's clapping. Her eagle-eyes keenly observed that not a single student missed a stroke and she let a satisfied smile break out.

"Halt!" ordered Meera, making sure to wipe the smile off her face as the children finished their last stroke, and let their swords fall to their sides wearily. "We'll stop here. Good work. Take a break and we'll finish the session with a review of forms 1 – 30".

The children sheathed their swords and trudged over to a shady spot under a particularly large elm tree. Gilean unhooked his sword belt and plopped onto the grass with a sigh, massaging his sore muscles. Just as hew as beginning to relax, a sarcastic voice drifted out from behind the tree.

"Having fun?"

Gilean's eyes opened as he gave an annoyed reply to the voice, "We were until you showed up." Secretly, Gilean was glad that his brother had showed up to watch, but he wasn't about to let _him_ know that. The other children's reactions were not nearly as subdued though.

"Silpherion!" "Silpherion-ava! Why are you here?!" "Silpherion, can you show us some techniques? Just a little please!" excitedly chattered the children.

If this were the middle of the night, Silpherion would have been practically invisible. His long black hair jutted out at various angles to give it a wind-swept look and he was covered in his usual garb of all-black attire. Silpherion claimed it gave him a mysterious charm. Gilean thought the real mystery was how his brother didn't pass out from the heat.

"Haha! One at a time! How are you guys?" laughed Silpherion holding his hands out in a halfhearted attempt to hold back the high-pitched horde of his admirers.

"Were you watching, ava?" How were we?" asked Carissa hopefully, her cheeks red.

"Where did you go?" butt in Elphias, "Why were you so late?"

Silpherion's attempts to slow down the torrent of questions were in vain as they all became more enthusiastic. Attracted by the noise, Meera came over towards the group she thought were resting to see what the commotion was.

"Afternoon, Meera." greeted Silpherion when Meera came into eye contact.

"I wanted them to have a break, you know? You're being a nuisance." said an annoyed Meera.

"No it's fine!" "We're okay!" replied the children as they rose to Silpherion's defence."

"Now, now. Meera is your teach and if she thinks I'm being a distraction, I should probably leave..." sighed Silpherion, already turning around.

All of the children mewled in disappointment; Elphias had even grabbed hold of Silpherion's shirt and was tugging at it to prevent him from leaving. With large, baleful eyes, the children directed a pleading gaze towards Meera, who seemed to physically stagger from their looks. A blush crept up her neck as Meera stammered, "Well – I mean, as long as you're just observing, you can stay I suppose –" getting cut off as the children squealed their thanks.

"Show us something!" pleaded Felia, which was soon enthusiastically taken up by the other kids. Meera, who was fading disinterest, leaned back against the tree and sneakily glanced at Silpherion.

"Alright, alright." conceded Silpherion, "I'll show you one thing."

"Awww!" "Just one?" repeated Anaya sadly.

"Just one." confirmed Silpherion.

Drawing away from the Meera and Silpherion, they huddled together and whispered to each other in urgent tones.

"Maybe a spell?" suggested Reval.

"What about a new sword technique?" pitched in Elphias.

"We've asked him to do those before though!" reminded Anaya.

"We all still enjoyed it though." pointed out Felia, smirking at Anaya who immediately began blushing.

"Well...yeah...but we should ask to see something new."

"But what?" pondered Carissa. It was eerie, thought Gilean, how they all turned towards him as soon as Carissa uttered these words. Truthfully, Gilean was furiously working on what to ask for in his own mind as he had seen pretty much all of Silpherion's vast repertoire. An idea wiggled in the back of his mind as he considered what to say.

"What if we ask him to do one thing, but would actually show us a lot..." said Gilean slowly, "Like a – " his gaze settled on Silpherion and Meera chatting together when everything clicked together.

"Like a duel." declared Gilean triumphantly.

**Scene switch**

"So! The rules are as such: One, no magic is allowed other than the ones needed to avoid serious injury." recited Lauren, who who acting as referee for the match after she and Veo had been conscripted to join by Silpherion. "Two, the match will end when either party has been disarmed or they have received too many hits to their bodies. Finally, melee weapons are the only weapons that are permitted. Are the combatants ready?"

"For a while now." muttered Veo, blanching when Lauren shot a venomous glance at him. Silpherion had been on his way to meet Veo and Lauren when he had stopped by the training grounds. When Gilean had proposed the duel between Meera and himself, he agreed, but he first wanted to go fetch Veo and Lauren. Unsurprisingly, Veo was adamant about duelling Silpherion himself, a position which Meera was unwilling to relinquish. After some arguing, Silpherion proposed that he duel both Meera and Veo at the same time. It was a testament to Silpherion's overwhelming skill that two of them accepted this modification so easily.

"Ready." replied Silpherion, unhooking his sheath from his belt and drawing his blade with a loud scrape. Gilean worriedly eyed the naked blade, "Silph, aren't you going to use a practice sword...?"

Silpherion understood the source of his baby brother's worries and laughed it off, "Don't worry, it'd be a problem if I didn't do this." punctuating his last words as he touched two fingers to the base of his blade. There was a loud _whoosh_ as small gusts of wind whipped up and down the blade, leaving behind a nearly invisible distortion of space that extended a few millimetres away from the blade that was accompanied by a very low whistling sound. Winking at Felia, he drew back his sword and swung it towards his arm. The children cried out in horror, only to be replaced by awed gasps as the blade bounced harmlessly off of Silpherion's arms.

In order to satisfy their curiosity, Silpherion got down on one knee and beckoned for the children to come over. Felia cautiously moved her hand over the blade, "It's cold!" exclaimed Felia.

Emboldened, the children all pressed their hands against the blade: No matter where they touched, they encountered a springy resistance that prevented any contact with the metal part of the sword.

"Wait a second..." said Elphias thoughtfully, glancing over towards Veo and Meera who were having their blades similarly blunted by Lauren. "Why don't we ever use this during our own trainings?"

"Part of your education. You have to learn how to properly maintain and refurbish a blade that's gone through a beating." smiled Silpherion.

"...I don't suppose you can teach us how to do that?" quietly requested Elphias.

"Nah. I wouldn't want to spoil your fun." winked Silpherion, with a smile that was infectious enough to wipe the scowl off of Elphias' face.

"You ready, Silphy?" yelled Veo.

"For a while now, Vee! Did you want to change your trousers first?" shot back Silpherion, causing all of the children to laugh.

"Let's cut the banter short. These kids have class later and I would rather finish this sometime before tomorrow." said Lauren, interrupting Veo before he could make a snappy retort. "Take your positions, fighters." ordered Lauren. Silpherion stood up and sauntered over towards his opponents, sword in his right hand and accompanying sheath in his left.

Veo and Meera faced Silpherion with blades held at the ready, standing a few paces away from each other. Judging for herself that everything was in order, Lauren stepped back and shouted, "Begin!"

Gilean stiffened when Lauren cried out as he waited for the three to begin. However the three remained motionless, neither party had moved a step, though the air crackled with tension. Gilean didn't even know what was the first flaw he saw, but in the next instant, Silpherion had kicked off the ground and was flying towards Meera. Silpherion's sword raced around his side in a deadly arc as it whipped towards Meera on a direct trajectory towards her left arm.

The blow would've connected had it not been for Veo's intervention as his blade pierced the space where Silpherion stood, only to violently ricochet off of Silpherion's sheath that had swung up to meet it. But the slight drop in speed was enough for Meera to launch her own counterattack as she took a step back to lessen the force of Silpherion's swing and parried his sword away near the tip.

All three warriors disengaged from each other simultaneously and once again stood apart, equidistant from each other. This only lasted for the briefest of moments, as once again, Silpherion mounted another attack against Veo, who barely managed to ward him off with Meera's assistance. The battle continued, as the three parties struggled against each other, neither party able to gain the upper hand against one another, any change in the battle was either immediately countered by the teamwork of Veo and Meera or the incredible prowess of Silpherion. The speed and ferocity of their attacks increased with every engagement, so that their figures seemed to blur and the sound of their warded blades (and sheath) clashing sounded like a rapid beating of canvas-covered drums.

Finally, the three once again stood apart from each other in a narrow triangle, and despite their physical exertions, none of the warriors appeared to be out of breath. The only sign of any sort of exhaustion was evident in the slight sheen of sweat covering their foreheads. It appeared that Veo and Meera had decided to try a new plan of attack as Veo remained where he stood and Meera began to slowly circle around Silpherion in order to trap him in a pincer. Gilean let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding and anxiously waited for Silpherion to break out of the formation. Shockingly, Silpherion patiently waited for Meera to finish moving around to his back.

"What is he doing?..." muttered Lauren, confirming that Gilean wasn't the only one who thought Silpherion's behaviour was abnormal. The only thing that Silpherion did that seemed to acknowledge his enemy's tactics was to turn his body in a half-circle so that he had both Meera and Veo, at least partly, in his peripheral vision. Perhaps both Meera and Veo felt like they were being baited into a trap of some sort, for neither moved form their spots despite their advantageous positions.

Gilean wasn't sure what his brother did after some moments of nothing happening, but he was sure Silpherion did something to goad Veo. For Veo's face morphed into an ugly grimace as he charged towards Silpherion. Gilean thought that maybe he was counting on Meera to be a few steps behind when Veo charged unexpectedly, which would've allowed him to deal with each threat by separately. However, Meera had begun her attack at the exact same time Veo had mounted his.

It would only be many years later that Gilean would fully understand what his brother had did back then, and it still managed to fill him with the same sense of awe and pride as it did on that day. One moment Silpherion was about to meet two blades swinging through wildly different paths that would engage both the lower and upper half of Silpherion's body to leave no chance of blocking either one. And in the next, Silpherion thrust his sword downwards, his hand holding the sheath darting out as Meera went flying backwards. In the next fraction of a second, Gilean was just able to catch Silpherion's slight pivoting motion as he delivered a monstrously fast punch in his now free hand to Veo's face. Meera and Veo's blades had dropped to the ground in that brief exchange, which Lauren had belatedly picked up on.

"Stop! The match is over! Silpherion is the winner!" called a rather flustered Lauren. A few seconds after this, the children began to hesitantly clap as they weren't sure exactly what had transpired.

"Silpherion...won right?" asked Elphias.

"Well...yes." said Lauren.

"Um, what happened exactly?" asked Gilean, as unsure of what his brother did as the rest of them were.

"Well – I mean, exactly? I – I'm not too sure how detailed you want me to outline the bout." stammered Lauren.

"Just that last part where Veo and Meera were charging form opposite sides." explained Anaya. In truth Lauren only saw the kick Silpherion had delivered to Meera, but even with her dynamic vision, she was unable to figure out how he dealt with Veo. Off to the side, Silpherion was helping Meera to her feet and handing back her sword.

Lauren decided to come clean to the children, "Truthfully, even I wasn't able to fully follow what he did. I saw the feint he delivered with the sheath and the kick that followed shortly after, but not much after that." said Lauren honestly with pink cheeks. "So, let's ask the perpetrator himself." declared Lauren with an embarrassed smile. Gilean and the others heartily agreed, secretly hiding their admiration for Lauren; none of them were able to follow any of Silpherion's movements.

Like a mother hen, Lauren led the children across the field in a long line towards Veo, Meera and Silpherion. Veo was cradling a bloody nose and glaring at Silpherion who was handing back his sheathed sword that had fallen to the ground.

"God, you are _such_ a dig'" complained Veo, his nasal injury serendipitously preventing the children form hearing any obscenities. Silpherion eyed Veo critically and remarked,

"I actually think your new look is an improvement, Vee-Vee."

"I thing' it'd loog' betta if you had a matching set." growled Veo

"Sorry! Sorry! It was a total spur of the moment thing!" assured Silpherion as he held up his hands protectively. "Do you need some help with that nose?"

"I god' it, thangs'." replied Veo. Meera wordlessly passed him a handkerchief that she'd pulled out somewhere, wincing a little as she brought up a hand to her chest. Veo wiped off the excess blood and pressed his thumb and forefinger to the bridge of his bulbous nose. With a grimace, Veo pressed inwards as the cartilage and bone snapped back in place with a crack, fresh blood streaming from it as he realigned his nose. Once more Meera passed a fresh handkerchief that had had water poured over it and passed it to Veo who pressed it against his face with a relieved sigh. His minstrations were finished, just as Lauren and the children pulled up in front of them.

"So? How was it?" asked Silpherion cheerfully, leaning on his sword that was still embedded in the ground."

"It was really, really good!" exclaimed Stilvan, with the other kids making similar exuberant claims.

"But –" interrupted Gilean as everyone turned to look at him, "We couldn't tell what happened in the end."

"Oh?" said Silpherion with a raised eyebrow. He turned to look at Lauren with a bright smile, "Wasn't Ms. Referee watching everything?"

"Not when you're moving that fast. I only saw the feint and the kick." replied Lauren coolly. Silpherion's smile faded, disappointed with Lauren's forthcoming answer as a perfect opportunity for teasing her slipped away.

"Well...it's a bit hard to explain, so I'll show it to you slowly. Elphias, toss me your sword." said Silpherion. Startled by the request, Elphias fumbled with his swordbelt a bit before passing it to Silpherion. "Lauren! Since you were left out of the fun, do you mind assisting?"

While she was surprised, Lauren quickly acquiesced, "What do you need me to do?"

"Nothing for now." said Silpherion, "And I need you for something else Vee." after sharing a glance with Veo. Silpherion unsheathed Gilean's sword and warded it with the same windspell he gave his other blade. Like before the match, Silpherion once again knelt and beckoned the children closer.

"What direction do you see the wind ward blowing on my blade?" asked Silpherion.

"Outwards." answered Gilean upon closer inspection.

"Right!" nodded Silpherion, "Lauren, do you mind warding your own blade like you did with Meera and Veo's?" Lauren unsheathed her own sword in reply, an idea slowly forming in her mind as to what Silpherion did.

"Done." said Lauren, holding it towards the children at Silpherion's insistence.

"Same question. Where's the wind going?"

"...Inwards? Towards the hilt." pointed out Anaya with her finger to trace a line of the wind's path down the blade, looking towards Silpherion for confirmation.

"Exactly. Remember that detail for later. Lauren, you'll play the part of Veo for this demonstration."

"And what will Veo be doing?" drawled Veo.

"Waiting patiently for his turn." answered Silpherion succinctly. Veo shrugged his shoulders easily and moved to the side with his sheathed sword clutched in one hand, and stood with the children to watch.

"Keep in mind that all of us." said Silpherion, pointing to himself, Veo and Meera, "Were using standard equipment for the duel. Because Lauren is using her own, I'll need to ask her for her sheath for this demonstration."

Lauren handed over her sheath without any questions to Silpherion's outstretched hand. "Ladies, if you could please take the same positions of where I was charged from both sides. No need to move so far away though." directed Silpherion, who again stood in that curious position of not facing either of his opponents with both hands extending in their directions.

"Meera, if you would please execute the same rising slant you performed earlier with a fraction of the speed." Meera quickly complied as she dashed forward, her sword elevating from the ground in a scything arc towards Silpherion's exposed back. Silpherion thrust his sword hand behind his body, catching Meera's blade underneath the cross-guard. At the same moment, Silpherion swayed towards Meera as Lauren playing the part of Veo, swept her own sword across the now empty space. Silpherion plunged his sword into the soil, taking Meera's sword along with it as the sheath in Silpherion's left hand stabbed upwards causing her to reflexively jerk away.

Lauren's return swipe was already under way as Silpherion's sheath raced to block it. Or so it seemed, for in that instant, Silpherion lowered to the ground and placed his foot upon Meera's chest.

"Stop!" said Silpherion in that rather precarious position and Lauren froze mid-swing, "Because I don't want to kick Meera a second time, let's just say I did and she was blown away. Meera obediently moved backwards several steps. "Now the kick I gave Meera gave me an extra bit of forward momentum – Lauren please continue your movement."

The fight resumed and Silpherion resumed his explanation, "Watch carefully now: Lauren needs to adjust her swing into a more vertical position to accommodate for my lowered stance. This will put her sword at the same degree of elevation as this sheath." emphasizing his last word by letting go of the sheath as it flew towards the incoming blade in the same path as his swinging arm. The suctioning effect of the wind helped the sheath to slide smoothly down the shaft of the blade. Silpherion's fingers had already formed themselves into a fist and let it come to a stop a hairsbreadth away from Lauren's face.

"So, that was the basic scheme, which works as long as you're able to move three or four times faster than your opponents." smiled Silpherion, a look of confusion slowly appearing over his face over the lack of a reaction from the stunned children. "Uh, was something unclear?"

"...More like something unbelievable." intoned Veo, shaking his head in disbelief.

"...Eh?"

**Scene switch**

In addition to the rather peculiar nature of the villagers of Nevara'el, there was one other feature of the village that made it unique among Elven settlements, or even villages in general, and it did not lay in its inhabitants. Between the brooks and brambles that populated the forest, there was one area of the forest domain of Nevara'el that seemed to overflow with life. It was a small clearing surrounded by the lushest and thickest of trees in the forest, arranged in a perfect circle around a colossal monument that stood in the middle, soaring past the tree tops that encircled it. Flowers of all kinds, and some that the Elves were sure were not present anywhere else in nature, bloomed around the monument in vivid splashes of pure monochromatic flowers arranged in clusters, or roses composed of _several_ different colours scattered around.

Curiously enough, though, no animals seemed to come around the monument, although they certainly seemed attracted to the spot as there were often several that watched the clearing from the forest. The founders of Nevara'el did not know what the monument was for, but since their own spellcasters had determined to be a benign structure, they left it alone. Over the generations, it gained a special place in the hearts of its inhabitants, who seemed to feel more alive in its presence. Although from the name alone, one could easily say that they hardly cared at all as it was so lacking in imagination.

"Sahhhh!" yelled Gilean, swinging down the novochore blade with supreme confidence. _Appear! Burning Rays!_ Gilean willed with all of his might for flames or even anything to appear from the end of the blade. Like so many times before, Gilean grew excited as the novochore inside the blade shivered and his soulself thrummed with energy, thinking that today would finally be _the _day. But like every single attempt before, that faint rumble moving through the blade was the only sign of something remotely magical happening.

_Once more!_ Refusing to let his continued lack of success get to him, Gilean again readied his sword, this time gripping it with both hands as he drew it backwards so that he could thrust the blade forwards. With an intense look of concentration, Gilean re-doubled his grip and focused on filling the blade with his soulself. Like the sensation of rivulets of water running down his body, his soulself flowed down his arms and extended so that it enveloped the blade and filled the novochore inside. Breathing out slowly, Gilean supplied the energy from his core to his soulself, making sure not to pour too much in. The last time he had tried that, the blade he was using had exploded in his hands, which had won him a fairly savage..._scolding_ from his rather irate brother who had wondered where his extra sword had disappeared to.

Judging that he had given enough energy (more than what was necessary, truthfully), Gilean stabbed his sword forward with the mental image of a bolt of lightning shooting out of the end of his sword embedded in his mind. Tragically, nothing shocking happened.

Gilean ignored the ever-growing list of failures and prepared his sword in an overhead stance this time. As he lifted his blade, the muscles of his upper arm spasmed and the sword fell out of his grip to fall unceremoniously to the ground with a _thud_. Gilean followed the sword shortly after, falling on his rear with braced hands and then collapsing onto his back gasping.

_ Thought my endurance was getting better recently. I'm slacking off too much._ Gilean slowly reigned his breathing under control, and despite his mental vow, continued to like where he was. He stared up at the evening sky, feeling content as the energy from the Glade seemed to fill his body and rejuvenate it. Gilean stretched his hand out in front of him so that it covered more than half the sky in his field of view and close it determinedly, _Once more._

**Scene switch**

"...No, I'm not tired, it's fine..." mumbled Gilean sleepily, the slight jostling movements Silpherion made as he carried him on his back only served to momentarily rouse him. Silpherion smiled as he shifted his brother into a better position; Gilean's arms hung loosely around Silpherion's neck. The novochore blade that Gilean had been using bumped against Silpherion's leg, as he recalled the scene of him entering the glade where Gilean had made Silpherion promise to meet him.

"_You definitely have to come!" pleaded Gilean._

_ "Alright, alright. I'll meet you later in the usual spot in the evening." promised Silpherion._

"What a troublesome brother you are..." chuckled Silpherion. When he made some hasty goodbyes to some of his friends he had not seen in a while to hurry and meet Gilean, he had found his brother snoring peacefully in the Glade; the novochore blade still clutched in his hands.

"...It's fine, just give me a second to rest..." yawned Gilean, "Don't...leave me alone..."

Startled, Silpherion stumbled in his tracks and nearly tripped over his feet when he heard Gilean's quiet plea. Gilean, for his part had finally settled into a peaceful sleep, his last words seemed to be a final act of defiance. Although when Silpherion twisted his head to look at him, a single trail of tears streaked across his brother's face, shining in the bright light of the moon. Moving with extreme care, so as not to jostle him too much, Silpherion gently brushed Gilean's tears away.

"...As long as you want me here, I'll be by your side." promised Silpherion

**Scene switch**

Is there a way to turn back time? Would anything different have occurred if there was? Gilean often lost himself in such fantasies. He thought that if he had done _this_ or not have heard _that_, then everything would be okay. Sometimes he wished he could have done something, _anything _at all.

His sin. His fault.

**Scene switch**

"No."

"What do you mean, _no_?" asked his father dangerously.

"I mean, no. No I'm not going another search with you two. No, I'm not going to lie through my teeth about going on some grand hunt. And _no_, I'm not leaving Gilean alone here!" snapped Silpherion.

"We are doing this _for_ Gilean's sake!" reminded his father with a raised voice. Silpherion's mother, Tamara, placed a gentle, but firm, hand on her husband's shoulder to direct his attention towards the staircase. His father's temper deflated as quickly as it had come under his wife's vice-like grip on his shoulder, instantly regretting his sudden flare-up.

"Why?" asked his mother with a penetrating stare towards Silpherion. Silpherion always felt like a mouse underneath the gaze of a mighty falcon circling high above it when his mother looked at him like this.

"...How long have we been looking, ever since we found out?" said Silpherion, carefully picking out the words out of a conversation he had been planning on having with his parents for a long time. "This latest _excursion_ with all three of us was supposed to have been the one."

"So because we failed again, you want to give up?" growled his father, "You would leave him broken?!"

"You think he's broken?! He's your son!"

"And I want him to be whole!"

"Enough! Both of you!" scolded his mother in harsh whispers, "We either keep this discussion quiet, or we don't have it at all." Both elvnmaga flushed guiltily, each regretting their words and actions as they sat at the table with clenched fists.

"I saw him at training today. He did well." remarked Silpherion after some time passed. "Even without a bridge." looking at both of his parents in the eye.

"For now." murmured his mother softly, coming around the table and placing ehr hands over Silpherion's, "But what about later? When the gap between him and his friends becomes wider?"

"But that's just -"

"It's more than being unable to use magic," said his mother, cutting off Silpherion's protest, "For a swordmage, their soulself is their life. He already needs to Trance two hours more than we do, when it was only a hour more in the past. What if he never comes out of it?"

"...You can't know that."

"You _don't_ know that." reminded his father gently.

"He's my brother. I can't leave him alone again...!" choked Silpherion.

"I know it's hard, but we're doing this for his sake." his mother squeezed his hands tightly. "Don't give up. He needs all of us."

All of Silpherion's planned arguments and rebuttals faded in those clear eyes and calm reasoning of his parents that he despised himself for trying to run away. "...I'm sorry. But what do we do now though? We've exhausted all our leads in healers."

"First thing in the morning, we'll ask my old friend Lucinda for advice." answered his mother calmly, "She might be able to point us in the right direction."

"Is it wise to let more people know about this?"

"You said it yourself, we've run out of all ideas we could come up between the three of us. Lucinda's a good friend who has a lot of contacts with the Mercenary House that could help us. More importantly, she can keep a secret."

"And the village? I don't think they'll accept all of us going on another hunt so soon. We got lucky last time with that demon attack in Carowyn." pointed out Silpherion.

"Then we'll leave." It was something they had all been considering, yet never spoken out loud. His mother's words thus did not bring about the shocked silence that it would have. "We'll go somewhere far away, where we don't have to worry about such obligations. Where we can focus our energy on what's really important." finished his mother.

"Do you really think the village would let their highest earners leave just like that?Elders Vyon and Fom_ë_ will be particularly reluctant to do so if we go on another _charity_ mission."

"Gods, no. They'd see us all dead before we brought a single silver to another village." snorted his father.

"But," added his mother, "They wouldn't be able to stop us either."

"True, but we could be a bit more subtle than -" began Silpherion, when a series a footsteps followed by a loud _bang _echoed from upstairs. They all rose as one, Silpherion being the closest, was the first to run up the stairs fearing the worst. He burst into the Sleeping Area, practically flying across the length of it from the speed he had built up on the stairs.

The room was empty. The sheets of one bed thrown into a flurry and another loud _bang _sound echoed from the window shutter that had been unlocked and was repeatedly slamming into the wooden framework by the wind.

_Gilean!_

**Scene switch**

Äuversdäe. The time when most of the villagers were asleep, what little they needed were spent in the darkest part of the night and when even the many sounds of the forest had settled into a velvety silence. Beneath the sliver of moonlight that wasn't obscured by the overhanging clouds, a small figure was running through the forest in a haphazard manner. The figure did not run towards the outskirts, for a small part of his mind remembered that there would be guards, but instead ran deeper towards the heart of the forest. Occasionally he would stumble against small roots and branches littered on the forest floor, one time even falling down, but he would recover and continue his chaotic dash.

_Will always be weaker than the others. Leaving the village. Missing bridge. Broken. _Gilean's thoughts were in a cacophony, each overheard word of his family's private conversation bringing up more questions and fears than he thought were possible. While he wasn't sure what exactly was wrong, he knew what, or who the problem was. This knowledge blurred his vision, his tongue tasting salt as tears ran down his face. Gilean didn't know where he wanted to go exactly, or even why he had suddenly ran away.

All he knew was that he just need to go away somewhere. His journey soon came to an end, as he emerged from the thicket of trees sweating and puffing, into the Glade. Like so many times before, Gilean's hand had already pulled out the novochore blade that he brought with him unconsciously, and ran his soulself down the length of it.

_If I can just manage to do this. Everything will be okay! We won't have to leave the village and they won't leave me. _Gilean then began to pour as much of his soulself into the novochore as he could, forcing everything he had into the crystal so that it seemed like the blade was overflowing with this energy. His vision grew dark and his hands grew cold as his knees began to shake with the effort of expending so much energy. As far as he knew, it was impossible to fully expend one's soulself, though at this point, Gilean could not care less about such a thing.

"Gilean!" yelled Silpherion, who had come running out from the trees, freezing in his tracks as he saw that Gilean had directed his shaking hand holding the blade towards him. "Gilly." said Silpherion carefully, "Just draw back in your soulself and let's talk about this, we can explain every-"

"No! I'm not broken! I can do this!" His mother and father came from the trees red-faced and dishevelled.

"Gilean!" "Äeoil!" Unlike Silpherion, his parents rushed towards him, heedless of the shaking and now glowing sword Gilean held within his hands. Before they could reach him, Gilean held his sword aloft, pointing it towards the sky as he concentrated on the image of flame shooting up into the sky. The blade shone even brighter as the monument in the Glade seemed to glow in response. Cracks ran down all along the blade as the light grew brighter and illuminated everyone in the Glade as everything faded into a white-hot incandescence.


End file.
